Explanation
In November 2014, Columbus voters approved a series of ballot issues which amended the Columbus City Charter. Included among the changes was a mandate to establish a Citizens’ Commission on Elected Official Compensation to review and recommend the salary for each elected officer of the city, with the underlying goal of increasing citizen engagement and adding an additional layer of accountability to the process of setting future pay rates for elected officials in Columbus.
The 2018 Citizens’ Commission on Elected Official Compensation issued its reports and recommendations in September 2018 and the Commission’s recommendations were enacted by City Council pursuant to Ordinance 3300-2018 for the years 2022 through 2025. In January 2022, Mayor Andrew Ginther and City Council President Shannon Hardin formed the 2022 Citizens’ Commission on Elected Official Compensation as required under Section 15-2 of the Columbus City Charter and charged them with reviewing compensation for the mayor, city council members, city council president, city attorney, and city auditor, and make salary recommendations including an annual cost of living adjustment to not exceed the average increase in the consumer price index over the preceding four years.
Commission members included:
• Michael Kasler, Chair
• Dr. Keisha Hunley-Jenkins, Esq.
• Sarah Ingles, Esq.
• Qiana Williams, ACC, SPHR, SHRM-SCP
• Fred Ransier, Esq.
The 2022 Compensation Commission held nine meetings, including a public hearing, before finalizing recommendations for the salary of each elected official of the city. Under the Columbus City Charter, setting elected official salaries will still require a public vote of City Council. Council may accept and enact the Commission’s recommendations in whole or in part. Council may enact all of the recommendations as submitted, some of the recommendations as submitted, or may enact an amount less than recommended. However, Council is prohibited from enacting any amount greater than the recommendations.
The salaries for all City of Columbus elected officials were set in Ordinance No. 3300-2018. Pursuant to City Charter Section 15, salaries for these positions cannot be increased or diminished during an elected official’s term in office. This ordinance amends the Management Compensation Plan (MCP) to set salaries for the mayor, city auditor, city council members, city council president, and the city attorney for years 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029.
Title
To accept the recommendations of the Citizens’ Commission on Elected Official Compensation and to amend the Management Compensation Plan by amending Sections 5(E)-C180, City Attorney (E); 5(E)-C185, City Auditor (E); 5(E)-C215, City Council Member; 5(E)-C220, City Council President; and 5(E)-M090, Mayor (E).
Body
WHEREAS, the Citizens’ Commission on Elected Official Compensation was established in 2015 as a result of the changes to Section 15 of the City Charter approved by voters in November 2014; and
WHEREAS, in January 2022, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and City Council President Shannon G. Hardin appointed five commissioners to the 2022 Citizens’ Commission on Elected Official Compensation; and
WHEREAS, the current Management Compensation Plan, Ordinance No. 2713-2013, as amended does not provide for salaries for the city attorney, city auditor, city council member, city council president, or mayor for the years 2026 - 2029; and
WHEREAS, following an extensive review of elected official compensation in comparable cities, and after extensive public outreach and deliberation, the Compensation Commission voted unanimously to establish a base salary for city auditor, city attorney, city council members, city council president, and mayor in year 2026; and
WHEREAS, the Compensation Commission unanimously voted to establish an annual cost of living increase for all elected officers of the City that shall be equal to, but not exceed, the geometric average increase in the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI-U, All Items in U.S. City Average, All Urban Consumers, Not Seasonally Adjusted for the four-year period ending the month of October prior to the year in which the cost of living increase will be realized; NOW THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That Sections 5(E)-C180, 5(E)-C185, 5(E)-C215, 5(E)-C220, and 5(E)-M090 of Ordinance No. 2713-2013, as amended, be amended to read as follows:
Ord. Section: 5(E)-C180
Class Code: 0044
Class Title: City Attorney (E)
Grade: $200,339/year; (Eff. 1/1/22, $200,339; Eff. 1/1/23, $200,339 as adjusted +COLA/year; 1/1/24, $200,339 as adjusted + COLA/year; 1/1/2025, $200,339 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/26, $200,339 as adjusted + 5 percent + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/27, $200,339 as adjusted +COLA/year; 1/1/28, $200,339 as adjusted + COLA/year; 1/1/2029, $200,339 as adjusted + COLA/year)
Ord. Section: 5(E)-C185
Class Code: 0043
Class Title: City Auditor (E)
Grade: $200,339/year; (Eff. 1/1/22, $200,339; Eff. 1/1/23, $200,339 as adjusted +COLA/year; 1/1/24, $200,339 as adjusted + COLA/year; 1/1/2025, $200,339 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/26, $200,339 as adjusted + 5 percent + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/27, $200,339 as adjusted +COLA/year; 1/1/28, $200,339 as adjusted + COLA/year; 1/1/2029, $200,339 as adjusted + COLA/year.)
Ord. Section 5(E)-C215
Class Code: 0400
Class Title: City Council Member (E)
Grade: $72,301/year; (Eff. 1/1/22, $72,301; Eff. 1/1/23, $72,301 as adjusted + COLA/year; 1/1/24, $72,301 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/25, $72,301 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/26, $72,301 as adjusted + 13 percent + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/27, $72,301 as adjusted + COLA/year; 1/1/28, $72,301 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/29, $72,301 as adjusted + COLA/year)
Ord. Section: 5(E)-C220
Class Code: 0405
Class Title: City Council President (E)
Grade: $86,977/year; (Eff. 1/1/22, $86,977; Eff. 1/1/23, $86,977as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/24, $86,977as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/25, $86,977as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/26, $86,977 as adjusted + 13 percent + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/27, $86,977 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/28, $86,977 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/29, $86,977 as adjusted + COLA/year)
Ord. Section: 5(E)-M090
Class Code: 0045
Class Title: Mayor (E)
Grade: $204,683/year (Eff. 1/1/22, $204,683; Eff. 1/1/23, $204,683 as adjusted + COLA/year; 1/1/24, $204,683 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/25, $204,683 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/26, $204,683 as adjusted + 13 percent + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/27, $204,683 as adjusted + COLA/year; 1/1/28, $204,683 as adjusted + COLA/year; Eff. 1/1/29, $204,683 as adjusted + COLA/year)
Section 2. That existing Section 5(E)-C180, 5(E)-C185, 5(E)-C215, 5(E)-C220 and 5(E)-M090 of Ordinance No. 2713-2013, as amended, are hereby repealed with the passage of this ordinance, except that the salaries as set forth therein through calendar year 2025 for City Attorney, City Auditor, City Council Member, City Council President, and Mayor, shall not be repealed.
Section 3. That the salaries as amended herein be effective with the beginning of the new term for those elected to the offices of City Attorney (E), City Auditor (E), City Council Member (E), City Council President (E) and Mayor (E) beginning January 1, 2026.
Section 4. That annual cost of living adjustments (COLA) referenced in Section 1 herein shall be calculated by the Department of Human Resources by determining the geometric average increase in the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI-U, All Items in U.S. City Average, All Urban Consumers, Not Seasonally Adjusted, for the four-year-period ending the month of October prior to the year in which the cost of living increase will be realized, and such COLA shall be added to the base salary, as adjusted annually, as provided in Section 1 herein.
Section 5. That, to the extent applicable to elected officials, the non-compensation benefits for those elected to the offices of Mayor (E), City Council Member (E), City Council President (E), City Auditor (E), and City Attorney (E), shall be the same as provided for in Ordinance No. 2713-2013, as amended, or as hereafter provided in the Management Compensation Plan.
Section 6. That this ordinance shall take effect at the earliest date allowable by law.